Jeremiah

Warnings about Jerusalem's destruction due to unfaithfulness, with promises of a new covenant.

Chapter 5

1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

*Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and check everywhere to see if you can find someone who is fair and honest, looking for the truth. If you do, I will forgive their actions.

2 And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.

*And even though they claim the Lord is alive, they are actually lying.

3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

*O GOD, don't you watch over what is true? You have punished them, but they haven't been sorry; you have destroyed them, but they refused to accept guidance: they hardened their faces like a rock and wouldn't come back.

4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.

*So, I stated that these people must be unwise because they don't understand God's path or His judgments.

5 I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

*I'll talk to important people because they understand God's ways and judgments. But some have completely broken free from the rules and shattered their restraints.

6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

*Because they did so much wrong, a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf at night will destroy them, and a leopard will guard their cities. Anyone who leaves will be ripped apart, as they have committed many sins and have gone back on their path often.

7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.

*How can I forgive you for this? Your children left me and swore by false gods. I provided for them well, but then they committed adultery and gathered in groups at the prostitutes' houses.

8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife.

*In the morning, they were like well-fed horses. Each one desired their neighbor's wife.

9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

*"Will I not punish these actions?" asks the Lord. "And will not my soul seek vengeance against such a nation?"

10 Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD’s.

*Climb her walls and cause damage, but don't completely destroy her; remove her protective towers, as they don't belong to God.

11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.

*The houses of Israel and Judah have been very disloyal to me, says God.

12 They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:

*They lied about God, saying, "It's not Him." They believe nothing bad will happen to us, and we won't face swords or hunger.

13 And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.

*The prophets will become like wind, with no words, and that's how they will be treated.

14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

*So, God says this: Since you're speaking his word, he will make your words like fire, and the people will be like wood, getting burned by that fire.

15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

*Look, I will send a powerful, old nation to you from far away, O people of Israel, says the Lord: this nation has a language that you don't know and can't understand their speech.

16 Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.

*Their arrow container is like an open tomb, they are all strong warriors.

17 And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.

*And they will destroy your crops and the food for you and your children. They will take your sheep and cattle, consume your grapes and fig trees. They will ruin your protected cities where you thought you were safe, using swords.

18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.

*In those days, says the Lord, I won't completely destroy you.

19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

*If you ask why the Lord does all these things to you, tell them it's because you abandoned him, worshiped other gods, and now you'll serve foreigners in a land that isn't yours.

20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

*Tell this to the people of Jacob's household, and share it in Judah, like this:

21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

*Listen carefully, people who don't understand; you have eyes but can't see, and ears but can't hear.

22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

*"Don't be afraid of me," says the Lord. "Why won't you tremble in my presence? I set the boundaries of the sea with a permanent decision, so it cannot go beyond them. Even though the waves may toss and roar, they can't overcome those limits."

23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

*But these people have a disobedient and rebellious attitude; they reject and leave.

24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

*They don't think, "Let's be afraid of the Lord our God now," the one who provides rain at the right time, both early and late; He also keeps the proper time for the harvest for us.

25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

*Your wrongdoings have kept good things away, and your sins have held back goodness for you.

26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

*Among my people, there are bad people who hide like someone setting traps. They create traps to catch others.

27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

*Just like a cage holds many birds, their homes are filled with lies. That's why they have grown powerful and wealthy.

28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

*They have grown rich and powerful, shining brightly. They do more than evil people. They don't judge the cases of orphans fairly, but they still succeed, not caring about the rights of those in need.

29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

*"Will I not punish these actions?" asks the Lord. "Will not my soul seek vengeance on a nation like this?"

30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

*A amazing and terrible act happens on the earth;

31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

*The prophets make wrong predictions, and the priests lead using their power. People like this, but what will you do in the end?

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